Gullane: Golf History and Coastal Trails

Gullane combines the history of golf with a distinctive coastal landscape. Gullane Bents is a broad sandy bay, behind which a path leads through the sand dunes. There are also golf courses offering a range of options, a museum dedicated to the development of golf, and routes that bring together the beach, grassland and golf courses when planning your trip. If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday house, you can therefore choose Gullane based on whether golf, the coast, walks or a combination of these is to be the main focus of your trip.

Golf history and specific playing opportunities

The Heritage of Golf Museum explores the development of golf and the craftsmanship of the early clubmakers from East Lothian. Visits are only possible by prior appointment; appointments can be booked by telephone on +44 (0) 1620 842 744. This makes the museum an activity that you should include in your daily itinerary in advance.

Gullane’s golf courses also offer a range of options. Gullane Golf Club has booking options for individual rounds on the respective courses, a day ticket or a combination package. Anyone interested in the history of individual courses will find two specific points of reference in Gullane No.2 and Gullane No.3: Gullane No.2 was designed by Willie Park Jnr in 1898, and Gullane No.3 opened in 1910. These dates give a golfing holiday a historical context without requiring you to focus your trip exclusively on the game.

For trips with children, Gullane Children’s Course is another special attraction in the village. The course has six holes and can be played free of charge at any time by any child. This means you can include golf in the day even when not all travellers have the same plans.

Sandy bay, dunes and circular walk

Gullane Bents is ideal for walking and offers a clear scenic focus with its broad sandy bay. The path behind Gullane Bents leads through the sand dunes. For those arriving by car, the car park on the A198 coastal road at the western end of Gullane village is signposted. East Coast Buses travels through Gullane village; from there, it is a ten-minute walk to Gullane Bents.

Another way to experience the surrounding area is the Gullane Circular. It runs along grass tracks and paths, as well as a sandy beach, and includes a signposted route over Gullane Hill and the golf course. This allows you to shape a day of activity and scenery differently from a purely golfing day or a museum visit. The different sections of the route help you decide which experiences suit your preferred pace of travel.

Which accommodation base suits your plans?

Choosing accommodation in Gullane can usefully be guided by the main focus of your plans. For a stay involving the golf museum, golf courses and Children’s Course, the specific golfing options are the main consideration. If, on the other hand, you mainly want to explore the coast, Gullane Bents, the dune path and the Gullane Circular are obvious themes for planning your days. You can also combine both interests: a stay can pair historical golf details, a round or the Children’s Course with a walk along the sandy bay.

St Andrew’s Kirk provides an additional cultural highlight. The church is designated as a Scheduled Monument in Gullane. Anyone interested in historic sites can therefore include this one alongside the museum in their personal selection. When searching for a holiday apartment or holiday house, what ultimately matters most is which of these experiences you want to include regularly and what kind of days you want them to create.

Compare further destinations

If you would like to compare Gullane with other destinations, you can also include Winchburgh, Pencaitland, Linlithgow, Uphall, Bridgend, Fauldhouse, Whitburn and East Calder in your travel planning.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lothian.